Machine for washing fruit, etc.



March 19, 1929. .1. J. BYBERG MACHINE FOR WASHING FRUITS, m'c

Filed March 25, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l March '19, i929.

J. J. BYBERG MACHINE FOR WASHING FRUITS, ETC

' File Ma c 23, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 March 19, 1929. J. J. BY BERG IMACHINE FOR WASHING FRUITS, ETC

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 23, 1925 Patented Mar. 19, 19219.

* unrrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS J. BYBERG, OF SILVERTON', OREGON.

MACHINE FOR WASHING FRUIT, ETC.

Application filed. March as, 1925. Serial No. 17,574.

This invention relates to improvements in a washing and traying deviceand has for its object to provide means for thoroughly washing prunes orother fruits or any articles or materials which may be fed from ahopper.

A further object of the invention is to provide an extremely simplemeans for washing prunes or other articles in first one bath and thenanother and then. spreading the articles upon a tray. r

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a trayingdevice an agitated tional view of an agitator showing a tray.

partially raised.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspec-' tive of the crank shaft andthe links associated therewith as herein. disclosed.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the followingspecification and in the several views in the drawings in which 1indicates a washing and traying device which may be used inconnection'with the cleansing and traying of prunes orany other articlesand which consists of a tank 2, a divisional wall 3, forming a hot watercompartment 4 and a cold water compartmentfi. A rotary or other suitablepump 6 raises the Water from the tank 4, forcing it through the pipe 7to the horizontal pipe extension 8, which is perforated throughout itslength to permit the water to flow upon the table 9 therebelow. A pump10 carries the water from the tank 5, through the pipe 11 to thehorizontal perforated pipe 12, from whence it is discharged onto thetable 9. The inclined table 9 is carried by the uprights 13 and 14 andthe rear end 15 of said table forms a bottom wall for the hopper 16having an outlet 17 controlled'by a slide 18. g 16 has its forward end19 supported between the uprights 13 and 14 and its rear end by braces20 and 21 and may be held slightly above and out of contact with thewall 15 of The hopper said incline 9. The table 9 is movably sup--ported by the uprights 13 and 14 by means of links 23 through means ofwhich the inclina-- tion of said table may be adjusted for the pan,

' ticular class-of material being operated upon or for adjusting thespeed of travel of the ma- 7 terial thereover; The slide 18 is carriedby p the forward end or wall 19 of the hopper 16 and has movement towardor from the table 9." It is to benoted that the bottom of the hopper isentirely open and provides a materially large opening for dischargesubsta'ntially entirely across the table 9 and'for a material distancelengthwise thereof-and sub stantially the entire length of the table 9above the links 23. The travel of the prunes or other material upon thetable may be brought about through the force of the water from the pipes8 and '12 or in case of a material which will readily be. moved throughthe water spray, the agitator link 24,will have its hook end 25 engagedwith the rod 26 on the bottom of said wall 15, the other end of saidmember 24 being carried by the crank 27 of the crank shaft 28. Links 29and 30 are pivoted'to theupper corner 31 of the tank 5 and at theirother ends are pivoted to the frame members 32 and 33 of the inclinedtray support 34, the end 35 of which seats under the terminal 36 of thetable 9, providing support for the discharge end of the table 9. Thelinks 29 are engaged with the frame members 32 and 3370f support 34 amaterial distance in advance of the longitudinal center of the support34 whereby the requ slte engagement between the table 9 g and support 34is maintained in connection with the resistance offered by an agitatorlink' 41. Said tray support consists of a frame 37, upon which the tray38 is adapted to seat, the stop 39 holding it upon said member 34.Theframe 37 has a cross member 40 to which is pivoted the agitator link41, the other end of which is carried by the crank 42 of the shaft 28.

Mounted on the members 32 and 33 are slides 45 and 46 upon which the end47 of said tray seats so that upon raising the end 48 of said tray inorder to lift'it from the tray holder 34, the opposing corners 49 and 50of said tray are the only portions which contact the tray holder andthey, seating upon the slides 45 and 46, which are very smooth,

err

I order to remove the tray 88, nor does the operation of said removalthrough transmission of agitation to said tray in removal of the same,affect the material upon the tray which has been properly spread throughsaid agitation While the tray was fully seated on the member 34. Asidefrom drain grating 48 and 44, the table 9 is imperforate which allowsthe Water discharged upon the table 9 to rise in the pan and completelysubmerge the fruit, thereby thoroughly cleansing the fruit as during aworking operation the movement of the table sets up a wave like actionto the water causing the fruit to gently rule against each other.

. It is to be noted that each of the pumps (3 and 10 draws the waterfrom the upper portion of its tank 4 or 53 so that the water as liftedby the pump is substantially clean and free of the dirt returned to thetank. said dirt readily settling to the bottom of the tank. This featureavoids the necessity of a relative frequent change of water which wouldincrease cost of operation and occasion considerable delay.

In the wall 15 over the tank 4 is a grating 43 to permit the watersprayed on the material in that portion of the table 9, to drain back inthe tank 4 while a similar grating 44 is provided adjacent the end 86 ofsaid table 9 to drain back into the tank 5, after it has accomplishedits purpose.

A gate 51 is pivotally mounted to the end of the side Walls 52 and 53 ofthe table 9 whereby the open end of said table may be closed in changingtrays upon the member 34. Mounted on the outer end 54 of the shaft 28 isa pulley 55 having a crank'handle 56 whereby the said shaft 28 may beoperated by a motor driven belt or by hand as desired.

A 28 projects through both of the casings of the pumps 6 and 10, wherebysaid pumps are operated.

in operation the hopper 16 is filled with prunes or any other materialto be cleansed or submerged for any reason and the shaft 28 started. Thematerial from the hopper will roll down the incline and hot water fromthe tank 4, be sprayed thereover, said water acting to drive thematerial, or float the same from the hopper down the incline. After thehot water bath the prunes pass under the spray of cold water from thetank 5 which spray has a tendency not only to cleanse and cool theprunes but also to keep them moving to the tray 38 which, being on anincline and kept agitated through the operation of the agitator rod 41,the. tray is gradually filled with layer of the fruit. The tray is thenremoved and an empty tray substituted therefor.

illaving described my invention that which I claim to be new and desireto procure by Letters Patent is:

A machine of the class described comprisin in combination, a hopper, atable supported for vibratory motion and having an end portion exc l thehopper, a

L nding under tray holder supported for vibratory movement and extendingbelow the opposite end portion of the tabl and providing a support forthe table, means for vibrating both the table and holder, and means fordelivering water upon the table. v

in testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JONAS J. BYBERG.

